In manufacturing printed circuit boards (PCBs), components are often placed on the board and then soldered all at once by exposing the bottom leads to a pool of molten solder as in a conventional wave soldering machine. Alternatively, components can be soldered in an infrared reflow machine or any other conventional soldering machine. These soldering machines typically have two parallel rails which support and carry the two outer boundaries of the PCB. However, the heat from soldering or from the molten solder pool can soften the PCB. The resulting sagging can cause the soldering to be uneven. At the extreme, the weight of the board and components can deform the board, making second side assembly impossible, or cause irreparable damage.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for stiffening a PCB during soldering, assembly, and repair/rework to prevent or eliminate deformation of the PCB.